FRINGTLLIDyE — THE FINCHES. 587 



abundant. Many specimens were obtained in Sitka by Mr. Bischoff. None 

 have so far been recorded from the Aleutian Islands. 



Dr. Kennerly frequently saw these birds near the Pueblo of Zuni in New 

 Mexico ; in the months of October and November they were very abundant 

 among the cedars to the westward of that settlement as far as the Little 

 Colorado. Dr. Heermann also met witli them near Fort Yuma in December, 

 liaving- previously noticed them during the fall, migrating in large flocks. 



j\Ir. Aiken frequently found this species througliout the winter in Colo- 

 rado. It was very common during March and the first of April. By May 

 only a few straggling females were seen, and then they all disappeared. 



The nests of this species have a general reseiublance in structure to those 

 of the common hi/emalis. They are well constructed and remarkably sym- 

 metrical, made externally of mosses and other coarse materials, within which 

 is very nicely woven an inner nest of fine, bent stems of grasses, lined 

 with hair. The eggs, four or five in number, resemble those of the hycmalis, 

 but are lighter. They have a ground-color of greenish-white, marked about 

 the larger end with fine dots of reddish-brown. Their measurement is .75 

 by .60 of an inch. 



Junco caniceps, Baird. 



RED-BACKED SNOWBIRD. 



Struthus canice2}s, Woodhouse, Pr. A. N. Sc. Phila. VI, Dec. 1852, 202 (New Mexico and 

 Texas). — Ib. Sitgreaves's Eeport Zuni & Colorado, 1853, 83, pi. iii. Junco caniceps, 

 Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 468, pi. Ixxii, f. 1. —Cooper, Orn. Cal. I, 201. 



Sp. Ch.\r. Bill yellowish ; black at the tip. Above ashy (of the same shade before 

 and behind) ; the head and neck all round of this color, which extends (paling a little) 

 along the sides, leaving the middle of the belly and crissum quite abruptly white. Lores 

 conspicuously but not very abruptly darker. Interscapular region abruptly reddish chest- 

 nut-brown, which does not extend on the wings, and makes a triangular patch. Two 

 outer tail-feathers entirely white ; third with a long white terminal stripe on the inner 

 web. Young streaked with blackish above and below, except along middle of belly and 

 behind. Length, 6.00 ; wing, 3.23 ; tail, 3.04. 



Hab. Rocky Mountains; from Black Hills to San Francisco Mountains, Arizona. 

 Wahsatch and Uintah Mountains (Ridgway). 



This species is similar to the common J. hjcmalis in color, though paler ; 

 the tint of the under parts and sides is not quite so dark, and is less abruptly 

 defined against tlie white. The conspicuous chestnut patch on the back and 

 the dusky lores will distinguish them. The edge of the outer web of the 

 third tail-feather is brown, not white. It differs from oregomts and cinereus in 

 having no chestnut on the wings, especially the tertials, and from the former 

 in the extension of the ash of the neck along the sides and much lighter head. 



Young birds are streaked above and below as in other species ; they ma}" 

 be distinguished from those of cinereus by the rufous being confined to the 

 interscapular region, the same as in the adult. 



